Unless you manage to stick only to positive media outlets, bad news has long been a regular feature of our daily lives. And this has an impact on our mental health. But, as a scientific study demonstrates, just a little good news a day can be enough to lessen the harmful effects of negative news. A little good news can even make it easier to have faith in human goodness.
From missing persons and armed conflicts to terrorist attacks and global pandemics, has the daily news cycle become too anxiety-provoking? Yes, say those who have opted to cut themselves off from the media to preserve their mental health. No, say the fans of 24-hour news channels where, as with many other media outlets, bad news has long since supplanted more positive stories. While numerous studies have already reported on the impact of negative news on people’s well-being, recent research suggests that stories about positive acts, as well as so-called ‘light’ news, could help mitigate the adverse effects of negative news.
Lessening the impact of bad news
The study was carried out on the initiative of researchers working in the psychology departments of the Universities of Essex and Sussex in the UK. Published in the journal Plos One, their work is based on data and statements from 1,806 people in Great Britain and America. They were divided into five groups, and subjected to news reports, images and stories on different themes: ‘immorality’ with only negative news, ‘kindness’ with stories about altruistic acts, ‘amusement’ with funny or light-hearted news, ‘immorality and kindness’ combining positive and negative news, and ‘immorality and amusement’ combining negative and funny news.
In the first group, which was subjected to bad news such as world disasters or terrorist attacks, the researchers observed a significant rise in negative emotions, with a parallel fall in positive emotions, and a gloomier perception of humanity and society. Not surprisingly, participants in the ‘immorality and kindness’ group, who were confronted with both malicious and generous acts, did not experience such a significant rise in negative emotions ” quite the contrary. The study shows that these increases were small, and that positive emotions did not decrease significantly ” and even increased in some cases. Another finding was that altruistic acts were more likely to reduce the negative emotions triggered by bad news than funny or light-hearted news.
Rebalancing the news
“With 1 in 3 people limiting or avoiding news coverage due to its disheartening content, restoring balance to the news with some kindness-focused news stories may offer the hope and mood boost people need to continue engaging with all that’s happening in the world," explains Dr Kathryn Buchanan of the University of Essex, quoted in a statement. The study suggests that a certain balance between good and bad news, probably more reflective of reality, could have a positive impact on well-being as well as on the perception of society ” and therefore on society itself, with positive news acting as a buffer to cushion the effects of negative news.
“There is something uniquely powerful and restorative about seeing others’ kindness that is not simply attributable to it triggering pleasant feelings," says Dr Buchanan. She concludes: “News stories featuring the best of humanity take the sting out of items exploring the worst of humanity. This allows people to maintain a core belief that is crucial for good mental health: that the world and the people in it are fundamentally good."
